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Hilton Hotels Group (Hilton) confirmed months ago that it would sever ties with Citi, and that AMEX/American Express would become the only co-branded credit card issuer. Today, AMEX confirmed that it will completely revamp Hilton’s co-branded credit card products in 2018. It introduced four new cards at once: three personal cards and one small business (business) card. The four new cards are:

  • Hilton Honors American Express Card (no annual fee)
  • Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card
  • Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (premium)
  • Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (business card)

Let’s quickly list the key features of each new card.

No annual fee version: Hilton Honors American Express Card

This card keeps all the features of AMEX’s prior no-annual-fee Hilton card:
  • Earn 7x Hilton Honors points at Hilton hotels worldwide, 5x Honors points at grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, and 3x points on other purchases.
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver membership. Spend $20,000 in a calendar year to upgrade to Gold.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Compared with the old version, the only real change is that foreign transactions no longer incur a foreign transaction fee. That is a welcome improvement.

Mid-tier card: Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card

$95 annual fee, a slight increase from the previous Hilton Honors Surpass card ($75). The new benefit is a free weekend night certificate each year, but you must spend $15,000. The threshold is relatively high.

  • Earn 12x Honors points at Hilton hotels worldwide, 6x Honors points at grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, and 3x points on other purchases.
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold membership. Spend $40,000 in a year to upgrade to Diamond.
  • Spend $15,000 within a calendar year to earn one free weekend-night certificate, usable at any hotel. Because it has no destination restriction, it can be quite valuable if you use it well.
  • 10 Priority Pass Select lounge visits each year.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

The 10 annual Priority Pass Select visits are also new. For people who don't travel too frequently, 10 visits a year may be enough. Compared with the old card—where each use cost $27—it is much better.

Premium card: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

This is the newest card. More and more card issuers are entering the premium card space, and this one is no exception. The annual fee is $450. The benefits are still substantial: complimentary Diamond-level membership, which means earning Diamond just by having the card can make members who normally need regular stays for Platinum-level status wish they had a different life.

Also, you get one free hotel stay each year, usable at any hotel, and if used well it can be worth a lot. Plus there is $250 + $250 in credits.

  • Earn 14x Honors points at Hilton hotels worldwide, 7x Honors points on airline tickets, car rentals, and restaurants, and 3x points on other purchases.
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond membership.
  • One free weekend night after account opening each year. Spend $60,000 in each calendar year to earn an additional one.
  • Get $250 in annual airline incidentals credits and $250 in annual credits for purchases at Hilton resort/hotel properties. You can also add the Waldorf Astoria Aspire Package, which includes $100 in on-property dining/other hotel spend credit.
  • Complimentary Priority Pass Select access, with no additional usage fee.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Business card: Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

This card is similar to the Ascend card, with a $95 annual fee, but it gives more opportunities to earn points.
  • Earn 12x Honors points at Hilton hotels worldwide, 6x Honors points at restaurants, gas stations, phone bills, shipping, airline ticket booking, and car rentals, and 3x points on other purchases.
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold membership. Spend $40,000 in a year to upgrade to Diamond.
  • If you spend $15,000 within a calendar year, you get one free weekend-night certificate, usable at any hotel. Because there is no destination restriction, it can be worth a lot if you use it well. Spend $60,000 in each calendar year to earn an additional free night.
  • 10 Priority Pass Select airport lounge visits each year.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Our take

With the arrival of the new Aspire premium card, the number of Hilton Diamond members is expected to rise sharply. Of course, Hilton Diamond membership does not guarantee suite upgrades; its main practical value is typically breakfast. For this card, if you use it strategically, the $250 airline credit and the annual free weekend stay at any hotel can more than cover the annual fee. The other $250 credit is a bit harder to extract value from, but it is still a nice bonus.

The other Hilton cards have relatively small changes. Of course, adding a new card is still a plus because it can create another chance for a sign-up bonus, but the core benefits are not significantly changed.

If you currently hold any Hilton card (whether from AMEX or Citi) and you plan to keep one, we recommend closing it soon. That way, when the new cards launch next year, you can try to receive another AMEX sign-up bonus, which AMEX generally only allows once per lifetime. If your card gets auto-migrated instead, that opportunity is usually lost.

What do you think of these Hilton cards?